The term “corridor” surprisingly has more than one interpretation.
Few people know that it’s also online sports betting term in the gambling world. In this context, a “corridor” refers to a combination of two bets placed by a bettor, usually across different bookmakers. The main feature is that these bets are placed on outcomes that are almost mutually exclusive, yet both can occur simultaneously. The essence lies in the difference between the selected values for totals or handicaps that are utilized. Hence, the term “corridor” is used.
For instance, a bettor might place one bet on “total under 2.5 goals” and another on “total over 2 goals.” The idea is that if there’s a scoreline like 2-0 or 1-1, precisely two goals are scored. In this case, the bet on “Under 2.5” wins, while the one on “Over 2.0” doesn’t lose—it’s refunded with odds of 1.0, essentially returning the stake. The bettor could then claim to have executed a “corridor” bet. In such scenarios, bettors usually make a noticeable profit. If the match ends with any other score, one bet wins, and the other loses. Thus, the bettor’s task is challenging: to arrange things so that the winnings from one bet compensate for the amount lost in the other.
Is there a difference?
Certainly, there’s much in common between a “corridor” and an “arbitrage” bet. The distinction lies in attempting to profit not from differences in event odds but from different total/handicap values. The goal is to find a balance where both bets win simultaneously. It’s precisely in these situations that the bettor makes a profit, as described earlier, when there are exactly two goals scored. In other cases, the bettor simply avoids losing money. In this format, without wins or losses, a bettor can continue for an extended period. Meanwhile, an “arbitrage bettor” is guaranteed income regardless of the outcome.
However, there’s one crucial caveat: if bookmakers take action against such strategies, as they often dislike such maneuvers and may block accounts or withhold payouts. “Corridor” bets, on the other hand, are entirely legal and permissible, and bookmakers allow such wagers to be placed. The organizers’ calculation is that winning combinations occur infrequently, allowing them to profit from the bettor’s funds for quite some time. There’s also the possibility of capitalizing on errors—betting on a similar but incorrect “corridor” variant or miscalculating the required amount ratio.
